Push-car.



G. G. WORTMAN.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed re r1, 1907. SerialNo. 379,303.

' Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE C. WVoR'rMAN, acitizen of the United'States, residing at Wortman, in the county'ofLakeand State 7 of Colorado, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements 1n Push-Cars; andI do declare the'following to be. a full,clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothersskilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same,reference being had to thelaccompanying drawings, andto' the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. V 1 vMy invention relates to improvements in push cars or cars adapted foruse in railway construction work.

In my present improvement thebody of the car is mounted on a rotatableplatform, and the said body is composed of two hinged members adapted tobe tilted'independently of each other. By virtue of therotary action ofthe platform, the body members may be dumped 'in any direction desired,when occupying a longitudinal or 'a transverse position with referenceto the length of the track. 1

Having briefly outlined my improved constructiom-I will proceed todescribe the same in detail referencebeingmadeto'the accompanyingdrawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car equipped with myimprovements. Fi 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a centrallongitudinalsection of the car. Fig. 4 is a top plan view with thedumping body members removed.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a relatively stationary frame work mountedupon wheels 6. To the top of this frame work is secured a circularrunway 7 forbearing balls 8 which also engage the movable platform 9.The ball runway is formed partly in the member 7 and partly in theplatform 9.

The platform 9 is pivotally connected with the stationary member 7 bymeans of a bolt or king-pin 10, upon which the said platform is free torotate. Two body members 12 are hinged as shown at 13 to the oppositeextremities of the platform, the said hinging:

centers, being centrally located with reference to the said members."The hlngmg device 13 consists ofa shaft 14, engaging bearings 15 withwhich the platform 9 is provided, and extending entirely across theextremity thereof. i

When the body members 12 are in the upright position, their inner oradjacent extremities abut against each other and they are locked'in thisposition by means of lever arms 16 whose lower extremities are connectedwith rockshafts 17 journaled in bearings 18 secured to the platform.Each of these levers is provided with a series of vertically disposednotches or recesses 19, adapted to receive apin 20 secured to the sidewall of the dumping body member. When the said member'is in the uprightposition, its pin 20 engages the lowermost notch or recess 19 of itscorresponding lever.

Thesenotches'or recesses are curved slightly upwardly while the leverarm is preferably slightly tilted in the direction of the discharge endof the car, so that when the pin 20 of the car engages the lowermostrecess of the lever, there is no tendency on the part 'of' the lever tobecome disengaged from the pin. 'If desired, however, suitable meansmaybe employed for normally holding the lever in a positioncorresponding with the upright position of its corresponding bodymembeni 1 1 As shown in the drawingeach body member isprovided at itsouter extremity, with a downwardly swinging door 21 hinged at the bottomas shown at 22 and held in place at the top by ailocking device 23. Eachdumping body member is provided underneath its bottom with two rods 24:having hook-shaped outer extremities 25. These rods are slidablyconnected with the body member, beinglheld in place by guides 26.Theoperator at either end of the car, by pulling'out these rods to thedesired distance obtains sufiicient leverage to enable him to easily"swing the platform of the car in any direction desired. The innerextremities of these rods are provided with stops 27, to prevent therods from being completely disengaged from their respective bodymembers.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improved pushcar will be readily understood. Assuming that the car is in the uprightposition, the body mem- .bers may either or both be tilted to thedotvers 16 inwardly, sufliciently to release the pin 20 of the bodymember from its engaging recess of the lever. When this is done the carbodies will readily assume the dumping position. Before tilting the bodymembers, the hinged door 21 of each member may if desired be releasedand allowed to swing downwardly, allowing a portion of the load at theouter end of the body member to slip out. After this is done the levermay be released and the car may be thrown to the dumping or inclinedposition by slight exertion of the operator. These hinged body membersmay be so manipulated as to cause them to dump automatically or to dumpby reason of a slight lift of the operator on the inner end of the carbody or slight pressure on the outer end. If it is preferred to dumpautomatically, it is only necessary to release the car body by theproper movement of the lever 16, before releasing the door 21. Then ifthe car is well filled at its outer extremity, the weight beyond thehinge will be sufficiently greater than the weight in the opposite endof the ear, causing the same to tilt to the dumping position. It isevident that the car may be so hinged or the hinge pin or shaft may beso located as to cause it to dump automatically or not as may bedesired. As shown in the drawing the dump would be automatic as soon aseither body member is released from engagement with its locking leverand this is probably the preferred form of construction. It is evident,however, that the invention is not limited in this regard.

The levers 16 are normally held in the upright position or in positionto engage the projections 20 of the dumping members, by means of coilsprings 28 mounted on the rock shafts 17 and acting on the levers tohold them in engagement with the pins 20 of the car bodies.

Attention is called to the fact that after the car body is tilted to anydesired position, it may be locked to prevent farther downward movement,by the use of the lever 16 (see the dotted line position of the leverand dumping members in Fig. 1).

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a push car, the combination with a suitable frame work, of aplatform mounted to rotate thereon, a hinged body mounted on theplatform and adapted to assume the inclined or dumping position, and a.lever arm also mounted on the platform and provided with a number ofrecesses, adapted to engage a. projection with which the hinged body isprovided, whereby the latter may be locked in any desired position.

2. In a push car, the combination with a suitable frame work mounted onwheels, of a platform mounted to rotate on the frame work, the platformand f 'ame work having runways, bearing balls mounted in the run ways,two dumping body members hinged on the platform and having innerabutting extremities, the said body members being adapted to tilt to theinclined or dumping position, and lever arms mounted onthe platform,each being provided with a series of recesses adapted to engage aprojection formed on its corresponding body member, whereby the saidmember may be held in the upright position or at any desired position ofinclination, substantially as described.

3. In a. car of the class described, the combination with a frame workmounted on wheels, a platform mounted to rotate on the frame work, a carbody hinged upon the platform whereby it is allowed to assume thedumping position, means for locking the ar body in the upright positionand means slidably mounted on the bottom of the car body and adapted tobe extended, to facilitate the turning of the car body and platform,substantially as described.

a. In a car of the class described, the coinbinat-ion with a suitableframe work, of a platform mounted to rotate thereon, two dumping bodymembers hinged upon the platform and having abutting inner extremities,and means for locking the body members in the upright position, eachbody member being provided at its bottom with rods slidably connectedtherewith, and adapted to be extended, to facilitate the turning of theplatform and, body members, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Vitnesses DENA NELSON, A. J. OBRIEN.

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